Molds are more common in everyday life. For example, they can be found on fruits and vegetables or on ceilings and walls. Because the microorganisms may be harmful to health, prompt removal is important.
What are molds?
Molds are mushrooms just like mushrooms or other edible fungi. However, they are much smaller. Ultimately, mold is made up of a network of fine loops that overall resemble roots. The individual threads are called hyphae. The mycelium is the actual mold. The mycelium consists of all hyphae. It is not visible to the naked eye, represents the network of roots of the fungus and can sit within materials as well as on them.
Occurrence, distribution and properties
The term mold includes various microorganisms that produce typical fungal spores and filaments. A total of about 100,000 different species have been described. However, scientists believe that the number is much higher. It is estimated that 250,000 molds populate the earth. Molds can spread on all materials: On surfaces, floors, food, plants, dead wood or in the bathroom. In nature, molds perform useful tasks. In forests, for example, they break down rotten tree trunks to make room for new plants. The fungus is able to completely infest and decompose many materials. Ultimately, the mold only needs an organic basis in order to multiply. However, this can be found in many more objects than just food. These include, for example, wallpaper, paper, leather, fabrics, paints, PVC or paste. Fungi need carbon to survive. They extract this from the materials they infect. While the actual fungus is not directly visible to the human eye, it is the fruiting bodies that it forms. With the help of the fruiting body, the mold wants to reproduce. As a rule, a mold can be recognized by black, dark brown or green spots. These appear wherever the spores have succeeded in settling. This is because the actual spreading takes place via the spores. These are transported mostly with the help of the air. Since the spores are heavier than air, they glide to the ground when there is no wind. As soon as the spores settle on materials that are suitable for their multiplication, more mold stains can be observed after some time. Mold spores can be found almost everywhere. They already occur in nature. In summer, about 3000 spores can be detected per cubic meter, and in winter, there are still 50. Molds prefer a humidity of 90 percent. However, they can also develop at a lower humidity. An extreme condition is 60 percent. In the best case, the temperature is 20 to 30°C. Furthermore, they succeed in spreading at 0 to 45°C. However, such an environment does not correspond to an optimal situation from the point of view of the fungus. The mold does not need light to grow. Overall, therefore, the requirements of a mold are rather low. Accordingly, humidity and temperature in one’s home should be kept in mind, as well as all food.
Diseases and complaints
Mold spores become problematic in closed rooms, because here the concentration increases significantly. Accordingly, people in whose apartments mold hangs on the walls or ceilings, take above average mold. In this case, serious health consequences cannot be ruled out. Spores of molds are usually so small that they easily enter the body, for example, through breathing. Many of the spores have a size of less than 10µ on average. Molds can sometimes severely burden and affect the human body. They enter the organism in various ways. On the one hand, they can be inhaled, on the other hand, they spread through the ingestion of moldy food in the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, molds thus have an increased effect on internal organs. Their metabolic products are particularly problematic. Fungi produce toxins that can result in cancer and liver damage. In addition, they promote the development of allergies.Substances that can be found on the surface of the fungus are responsible for an allergic reaction. These are so-called enolase. At the same time, a fungus usually has different enolases. This can sometimes make it difficult to attribute the physical reactions to a mold. Once the body develops an allergy to a mold, the symptoms usually occur wherever the fungus is present. Overall, molds trigger a variety of symptoms. These include, for example, gastrointestinal complaints, cough, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, skin changes, migraine or joint complaints. If the mold has been consumed, abdominal pain sometimes manifests itself. Therefore, food with mold stains should always be discarded. Cutting away is usually not sufficient. Finally, the spores, that is, the visible part, indicate that the fungus has already managed to infect the entire food. The formation of spores is an indication that the fungus needs new food for its survival. In addition, it is important that an infested wallpaper or wall is adequately treated. Otherwise, the described symptoms may become apparent.
